TET Spartan 2 Success!

LukeSoutherner · February 22, 2016

I just wanted to share my petty triumph of the weekend with you all.

With a new (to me) rifle on its way, I wanted to remove the muzzle brake end of my Third Eye Tactical Spartan 2 .30 Mod. The new rifle has a TET muzzle break for the Spartan 2 in the correct thread (M18x1), while my old rifle has 1/2' UNF. So, I was thinking "Great: two rifles, one moderator!"

But, frustration struck when I couldn't strip the damn moderator. I hadn't stripped it for a year, at least, and was told by many (including by those in the know) that it couldn't be done. I'd have to live with it, and just buy a separate moderator. I was told that the carbon deposits in the mod build up and are forcefully pushed into every nook and cranny - the threads specifically - and act like epoxy. This was not looking good.

However, thanks to the advice from ds1 and Ronin, I did the following...

1. Soaked end of mod in penetrating oil. I found some Duck Oil, gave it a liberal dousing, and left it to it...for 10 days. I'd spray a little more in every few days, give a try (no luck), and put if back in its bag of oil. All the time thinking, "this ain't gonna work".

2. Heat. That's what I was told I needed. 2 kettles of boiling water over the mod on about day 3. Mod in a vice, and gave it a try. No joy. felt quite disheartened.

3. Day 10. Heat up oven to max temperature - 250 celsius. Left it in for 45 minutes. When I came back into the kitchen, it stank. Dog was still alive though, so not too noxious. It had been suggested that it needed to be hot enough for the mod to be smoking, which it was, and that this was the carbon burning off. I took the mod back to the vice using leather gardening gloves, used a cloth and cardboard to protect it in the vice, and gave it a try. No joy. I then tried to tighten it a bit, and then loosen it again. And bloody hell, it worked!!

Looking at the threads, the Duck Oil had penetrated about 1/3 up the thread.

So, I'm guessing that the combination of the duck oil and the heat did it. I tried to loosen the end cap after the above success and while it was still piping hot, but it had had no oil on it, and it didn't budge.

I'm now working on the end cap...9 days to go!

Thanks to ds1 and Ronin.